The Mercer County Hall of Fame recently enshrined eleven men into the Hall at its induction ceremonies. Grove City native and West Virginia Wesleyan College professor Dr. Robert Braine was one of the inductees.

Braine was one of the top all-around athletes to come out of Grove City High School and he has dedicated much of his life to giving back to sports and the young athletes who participate in them. He distinguished himself in sports from a young age, earning all-star status in Little League and Pony League as well as being a standout in youth football.
Braine was a three-sport letterman in football, wrestling, and track. As a wrestler, he lost only one match in his junior and senior seasons and only four in his entire three-year career. He sparked the football team to a record-setting year in 1958, his senior season, as he rushed for 17 touchdowns in nine games. On defense he led the squad, which allowed only 44 points all year, a record that still stands today.

He was selected first team all county at running back and was voted "Outstanding Back" of the Mercer County All-Star Game. He went on to star as a defensive player at Lock Haven State College and was a four-year starter, always assigned to cover the opponent's best receiver.

After graduating from Lock Haven, he coached at Grove City and Milton High Schools, the University of North Carolina, and West Virginia Wesleyan College. At Milton, he helped three players win all-star honors and earn college scholarships. He coached football and track at Wesleyan and was elected Coach of the Year twice by the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Braine went on to West Virginia University and earned his doctorate in education with an emphasis in exercise physiology in 1976, so he could better understand the young athletes and what it takes to produce superior performance.

He has published articles in the West Virginia Health and Physical Education Journal. He also developed "The Fitness Bank", which is an employee fitness program designed to help reduce health care costs in the workplace and to improve employees' lifestyles. In 1997, he was honored as Citizen of the Year in Buckhannon, West Virginia for his endless hours of community service.
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